Movable partition structure



June 2, 1964 D. l. FRIDOLPH 3,135,026

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MovABLE PARTITION STRUCTURE Filed Jan. r11, 1960 2 sheets-sheet 2 Flc. 8

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,135,026 MOVAIELE PARTITION STRUCTURE Doris Irene Fridolph, 269 Crescent Bay Drive, Laguna Beach, Calif. Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,478 Claims. (Cl. 20-4) This invention relates to a movable partition structure such as is used in forming office or similar work areas in desired size.

It is an object of this invention to provide a movable partition structure wherein the size of a work area may be readily adjusted.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a structure wherein track means are provided on the floor, such track means being substantially invisible to the eye.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a partition structure which is relatively inexpensive.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a partition structure wherein a suitable oor covering may be used in connection therewith, the partitions being adjustable without removing the floor covering.

Basically, the invention comprises providing pairs of tracks comprising grooves of novel construction in the surface of the floor, the grooves having relatively narrow openings therein so that they are substantially invisible to the eye. The partitions are provided with interengaging means which engage the tracks and thereby adjustably support the partitions in position.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a room utilizing the novel partition structure.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of partition.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5 5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of track.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of another modified form of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a working area is provided by utilizing the novel partition structure on a floor 10 by providing a plurality of pairs of tracks 11 at acute angles to one another and supporting partitions 12, 13 in the tracks as presently described. The partitions are movable along the track by applying a force on the lower end of the partitions adjacent the tracks as presently described.

As shown in FIG. 2, each track 11 comprises an inverted T-shaped slot in the floor 10, the vertical leg 14 of the slot 11 being relatively narrow so that it is relatively invisible to an observer looking down on the track.

The width of the enlarged portion of cross leg 19 of the slot 11 is less than the thickness of the panel. The floor covering such as carpet 15 may be provided to the edge of the leg 14 so that the pile of the carpet 15 will substantially close the leg 14 further minimizing the possibility of seeing the track. Each partition 12 is provided with suitable means interengaging with the slot 11. As shown in FIG. 2, this may comprise a member 16 having a vertical arm 17 extending downwardly through the leg 14 of slot 11 and a lateral arm 18 extending beneath the cross leg 19 of slot 11 into engagement with the surface 20. Each partition is preferably formed with a pair of memice bers 16 at spaced points. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of each member 16 is such that the partition 12 is supported effectively in the slot without rocking. Any tendency of the partition to move away from the vertical locks the partition in position by a relative cocking action between the member 16 and the slot 11. In order to move the partition, it is only necessary to apply a force adjacent the lower end of the partition. It should, of course, be understood that in order to initially place the partition in the slot a portion of the fioor is cut away at a predetermined point along the track 11 to permit the downward insertion of the members 16 into the slots.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the member 16 may be replaced with a member 16 which comprises a vertical arm 21 having blocks 22 of plastic material fastened to the lower end thereof and adapted to engage the surfaces 2t) formed by the cross leg 19 of the slot 11 (FIG. 6). The width of the enlarged portion of cross leg 19 of the slot 11 is less than the thickness of the panel. The blocks 22 facilitate the movement of the partition during adjustment and at the same time provide the necessary locking of the partition in position by relative cocking against the groove 11. The dotted lines of FIG. 4 and the circles in FIG. 5 represent the means for fastening the blocks 22 on the vertical arm 21.

It should, of course, be understood that the tracks instead of being formed as integral grooves may comprise sheet metal channels having an inverted T-slot section as shown at 25 in FIG. 7.

The invention may also be applied to horizontal structures which are not necessarily floors as, for example, in elevated platforms such as bookshelves. As shown in FIG. 8, bookshelf 30 is provided with slots 31 which are adapted to be engaged by members 32 on the lower end of a bookend 33. The pressure of the books on the bookend 33 causes the bookend to cock and lock it in position. It can be readily moved along the member 30 by applying a force at the lower end thereof.

It can thus be seen that I have provided a partition structure which utilize tracks in the oor which tracks are relatively invisible to the eye. The partitions can be readily moved without any tools or similar structure.

I claim:

1. In a movable partition structure, the combination comprising means defining a horizontal surface, said surface having a track therein comprising a slot with a relatively narrow vertical leg and an enlarged cross leg spaced below the surface, a thin upright panel having a relatively narrow lower edge adapted to slidingly engage the horizontal surface, and rigid means fixed on the lower edge of said panel extending downwardly through the vertical leg of the track and having an enlarged portion fixed on the lower end thereof extending into the enlarged leg of the track, the length of said enlarged portion along said track being at least as great as the thickness of said panel, said rigid means comprising the sole means for guiding and locking the panel relative to said surface, the distance between the enlarged portion and the lower edge of the thin panel being such that the panel when in upright position may be readily slid along the horizontal surface and a slight deviation of the panel from its upright position causes said enlarged portion to rock with the panel about a transverse axis and engage the portions of the track defining the enlarged leg of the track to lock the panel in position longitudinally of the track.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the width of said enlarged portion of said slot is less than the thickness of said panel.

3. The combination set forth in claim l wherein said d track has an inverted T cross section.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said rigid means has the enlarged portion thereof symmetrically positioncd relative to the vertical leg thereof.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said rigid means comprises an L-shaped member wherein the vertical arm of the L-shaped member forms the vertical leg of the rigid means and the horizontal arm of the L-shaped member forms the enlarged portion of the vertical means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Scarritt Oct. 28, Woodruff I une 4, Cox Sept. 13, Macrae Sept. 28, Evans Mar. 31, Kotun June 27, Ramsey Aug. 11,

Budai May 17, 

1. IN A MOVABLE PARTITION STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A HORIZONTAL SURFACE, SAID SURFACE HAVING A TRACK THEREIN COMPRISING A SLOT WITH A RELATIVELY NARROW VERTICAL LEG AND AN ENLARGED CROSS LEG SPACED BELOW THE SURFACE, A THIN UPRIGHT PANEL HAVING A RELATIVELY NARROW LOWER EDGE ADAPTED TO SLIDINGLY ENGAGE THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE, AND RIGID MEANS FIXED ON THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE VERTICAL LEG OF THE TRACK AND HAVING AN ENLARGED PORTION FIXED ON THE LOWER END THEREOF EXTENDING INTO THE ENLARGED LEG OF THE TRACK, THE LENGTH OF SAID ENLARGED PORTION ALONG SAID TRACK BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE THICKNESS OF SAID PANEL, SAID RIGID MEANS COMPRISING THE SOLE MEANS FOR GUIDING AND LOCKING THE PANEL RELATIVE TO SAID SURFACE, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ENLARGED PORTION AND THE LOWER EDGE OF THE THIN PANEL BEING SUCH THAT THE PANEL WHEN IN UPRIGHT POSITION MAY BE READILY SLID ALONG THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE AND A SLIGHT DEVIATION OF THE PANEL FROM ITS UPRIGHT POSITION CAUSES SAID ENLARGED PORTION TO ROCK WITH THE PANEL ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS AND ENGAGE THE PORTIONS OF THE TRACK DEFINING THE ENLARGED LEG OF THE TRACK TO LOCK THE PANEL IN POSITION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE TRACK. 